by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High can’t overcome slow start in region finals loss to Aledo

STEPHENVILLE — Abilene High’s most successful football season in more than a decade came to an end Friday with a 56-21 loss to top-ranked Aledo in the Region I-5A Division I final.

A disastrous start saw the Eagles fall behind 28-0 after a quarter. And following a successful second period, during which coach Mike Fullen’s squad was able to narrow the deficit to 28-14 by halftime, Abilene High ran out of gas against a Bearcats squad in search of second consecutive state title and 12th in program history.

The loss forced Abilene High, which was outgained 527-210 and limited to just a single yard on the ground, to end its season at 11-3. But the run to the fourth round of the playoffs marked the Eagles’ deepest since 2011 and the 11 wins tied the program’s most since 2012.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Five turnovers sink Stephenville in 41-21 region final loss to Anna

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS — Ziondre Williams threw three touchdown passes and a stingy Anna defense forced five turnovers to lead the Coyotes to a 41-21 win over Stephenville in the Region II 4A Division I championship game Friday night.

The Coyotes’ sophomore quarterback also ran for 43 yards in guiding Anna, winner of District 8-4A Division I, to the state semifinals via its 13th victory in 14 games. The Yellow Jackets, winners of District 5-4A Division I, finished their season 11-3.

As well as Williams played, the five key Stephenville turnovers, including one early and two very late, played an equally important role in this battle of perennial Class 4A titans. And they left Stephenville coach Sterling Doty and his troops shaking their heads and wondering “what if” once the final whistle blew.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Hawley’s dream of reaching a third straight state title game ends with 46-6 loss to Stratford

LUBBOCK — It took an undefeated perennial power to finally stop Hawley in its quest for back-to-back state championships, with Stratford handing the Bearcats a stunning 46-6 loss in the Region I-2A DI title game at Lowrey Field. 

Bryce Braden rushed for 164 yards and three scores to lead Stratford (14-0), which advances to face Tolar (13-1) in the state semifinals next week.  The Elks limited Hawley (11-3) to minus-24 yards rushing and 222 yards in total offense — 99 of which came on a TD pass from Keagan Ables to Diontay Ramon in the second quarter.  

“You can’t have hiccups and penalties and not play well against a real good football team,” Hawley coach Mitch Ables said. “I fully expect those guys to be at AT&T (Stadium in Arlington).” 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Brock controls the clock, delivers knockout punch to Paradise

MINERAL WELLS — Having dropped the past two state championship games, the Brock football team has been hungry to earn a third consecutive trip to AT&T Stadium in 2023.

The Eagles march to the home of the Dallas Cowboys continued on Friday night when they knocked off district rival Paradise 21-7 at Ram Stadium in the Region I-3A Division I final, earning a semifinal berth against Malakoff.

Friday marked the second time in six weeks that Brock had beaten the Panthers, following a 26-14 win in October.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Blue-collar Abilene High program comfortable, content in underdog role

When Abilene High takes the field for its Region I-5A Division I final against Aledo on Friday at Tarleton Memorial Stadium, the Eagles will do so as the clear underdog.

Unbeaten at 13-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state in their classification, the Bearcats are the favorite to return to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, where they won their most recent of 11 state championships last fall.

But if you think the Eagles will be uncomfortable in a challenger role or intimidated playing a state power, you don’t know enough about the AHS program. During a 25-year run that has seen Abilene High reach the playoffs 21 times, achieve double digit wins on 11 occasions and claim a state title of its own in 2009, the Eagles have built a well-earned reputation as a giant killer.

And they’re all too happy to put their own tradition on the line this week in Stephenville.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Abilene High rolls on opening day of Key City Classic; Cooper, Wylie fall

Abilene High was the lone local team to survive the first day of the Raising Cane’s Key City Classic unscathed Thursday, opening the annual tournament with a dominant 76-17 victory over El Paso Austin.

Around the Eagles’ win, which earned coach Justin Reese’s squad a 1:30 p.m. Friday matchup against Richardson Pearce, Wylie fell 72-48 to Lewisville The Colony and Cooper saw a furious second-half rally come up just short in a 51-48 loss to Canutillo.

Play in the 16-team tournament will continue through Saturday, culminating with the championship game at 1:30 p.m. at Abilene High and the consolation final at 1:30 p.m. at Cooper. See full first-day results and the complete tournament schedule here.

Continue reading “TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Abilene High rolls on opening day of Key City Classic; Cooper, Wylie fall” →

by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Albany dominant from start to finish in region final rout of Collinsville

IOWA PARK — Albany didn’t need any last-minute heroics Thursday night at Hawk Stadium.  

A week after dodging Muenster, the top-ranked Lions manhandled No. 4 Collinsville from the beginning, scoring the first 31 points in a 52-14 victory.  

Adam Hill led the charge with 223 rushing yards and four touchdowns, but the Lions defense also made a statement by picking off quarterback Logan Jenkins three times and holding the Pirates 38 points below their season average.  

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 15)

Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games and select six-man games, in addition to the results of Evan Ren’s Twitter polls for each matchup.

For those interested in voting, polls go up on Monday night each week.

Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

Big Country Preps playoff forecast: 11 area teams still alive with December approaching

LAST WEEK: 11-2, .846
SEASON TOTAL: 546-110, .832

Week 15, if you can believe it, has arrived, with regional championship games dotting the landscape in the 11-man ranks and state semifinals deciding which six-man teams will go to Arlington. 

As one may expect, there are tossups all over the board, so picking these things has become all the more difficult. 

Why waste time?

Let’s dive in. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Jim Ned girls cruise past Brownwood to kick off doubleheader sweep

TUSCOLA — Hosting a Brownwood squad that entered Tuesday’s nondistrict matchup with six wins in its first eight games, the Jim Ned Lady Indians showed why they’re the second-ranked team in Class 3A, riding a dominant all-around performance to a 61-13 victory at Bill Thornton Arena.

Coach Hunter Cooley’s team took control early and never relinquished it, following a 16-4 run through the first quarter with a 13-1 surge through the second to take a commanding 29-5 advantage. And the Lady Indians would only grow that lead after halftime.

The thorough victory improved Jim Ned to 7-1 on the year with its only loss coming by six points to Class 4A No. 2 Glen Rose at the Pug Parris Classic in Abilene.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

FEATURE: Former Clyde, Sweetwater, Llano head coach Craig Slaughter enjoying role at Wall

Wall defensive coordinator Craig Slaughter (left) discusses a call with an official with head coach Houston Guy (right) listening in during last week’s regional semifinal win over Lubbock Roosevelt in Sweetwater.

WALL — Ask any Big Country high school football fan what he or she remembers about Craig Slaughter and the teams he coached and you’re likely to hear one of two words: intense and/or physical. 

Slaughter wasn’t the winningest head coach in area history — not by a long shot. But two things one could always count on when facing a Slaughter team were high levels of emotion, backed by some serious hitting.

With head coaching stops at Hearne, Clyde, Sweetwater and Llano, Slaughter is now working as the defensive coordinator at Wall under head coach Houston Guy, where he has turned an already solid WHS defense into one of the best in the area.  

“We played great defense before, but he’s elevated that to a higher level,” said Guy, whose Hawks (11-2) face Canadian (13-0) for the Region I-3A DII championship on Friday in Lubbock. “The intensity he brings to our staff on any given day whether it’s practice or on a Friday night is invaluable.” 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stephenville’s Butchee takes the top spot

We freely admit that more offensive players take our Big Country Preps Player of the Week than do defenders. 

But a great defensive performance can, indeed, take the top spot and that is the case with this week’s award winner: Stephenville sophomore linebacker, Hudson Butchee. 

With the Yellow Jackets squaring off with perennial power Celina in the Region II-4A DI semifinals, Butchee played like a man possessed in a 7-3 Stephenville win. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Team effort sends Westbrook into state semifinals

SWEETWATER — Westbrook coach Homer Matlock said his Wildcats don’t care who scores or who handles the ball.

That mentality was on full display in the Region II-1A Division I final Saturday at the Mustang Bowl, where WHS pulled away in the second half to beat Borden County 110-65.

It marked the first time in Matlock’s career that he had a team score in triple digits. Continue reading “GAME STORY: Team effort sends Westbrook into state semifinals” →

by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Brownwood into the regional finals for first time since 2015 after thumping Springtown

CROWLEY — When the Brownwood offense is rolling, the Lions are hard to beat.

Friday night at Crowley ISD Stadium, the Lions had just 306 yards of offense, but they took advantage of four turnovers by Springtown to pull away in the fourth quarter for a 37-17 win in a Region I-4A Division I semifinal.

The victory marked the sixth scoring output of at least 30 points since the Lions (12-1) suffered their only loss this year Sept. 29 against Stephenville.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Fast start, clutch defense fuel Abilene High past Justin Northwest, into fourth round

WICHITA FALLS — A fast start offensively and a clutch defensive performance throughout were all Abilene High needed Friday to down Justin Northwest 27-16 and advance to the fourth round of the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

AHS raced out to a 14-0 lead after a quarter, took a 20-7 advantage into halftime and never trailed the rest of the way despite frequent challenges by the Texans offense in the second half.

The Eagles, who turned Northwest away in the red zone twice in the third quarter, allowed just one second-half touchdown despite spending most of the final two periods on their own end of the field. That allowed the offense, which finished four of their five first-half possessions with points, to put the game away with their only scoring drive of the second half late in the fourth quarter.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Late pick by Fairchild puts Albany in regional finals

WEATHERFORD — Sometimes a defensive back just has to gamble and take a chance.

When it works, they come out a hero. If it fails, they get remembered for all the wrong reasons.

On Friday afternoon at Kangaroo Stadium, Albany defensive back Cason Fairchild took a gamble and it paid off with a game-clinching interception with 37 seconds left as the Lions hung on to beat Muenster 19-14 in a Region II-2A Division II semifinal.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Wall defense shuts down Lubbock Roosevelt to advance to regional championship

SWEETWATER —In order to pull off an upset of eighth-ranked Wall, the Lubbock Roosevelt Eagles needed to win the turnover battle to gain an upper hand in a limited possession game. 

Mission accomplished — at least, one part of it. 

While Roosevelt achieved an edge in takeaways, charting a +3 turnover ratio in the first half, the Eagles failed to take advantage of any of them — trailing 14-0 at the break before eventually losing to Wall 35-6 at the Mustang Bowl. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

THANKSGIVING FEATURE: Matlock family thankful for community support in wake of accident

Editor’s note: Westbrook football coach Homer Matlock, his wife Tia and their daughter Zoe sat down with BigCountryPreps.com on Tuesday to share their feelings this holiday season, along with their experience after Zoe was involved in a serious car wreck earlier this month.

WESTBROOK — Find your purpose.

Coming off back-to-back state championships, the Westbrook football team adopted those three words as their motto for the 2023 season during two-a-days in August.

Little did they know at the time just how much that phrase would impact the program from the top down, starting with head coach Homer Matlock and his family. Continue reading “THANKSGIVING FEATURE: Matlock family thankful for community support in wake of accident” →

by Daniel Youngblood

Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel vs. Twitter Polls (Week 14)

Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games and select six-man games, in addition to the results of Evan Ren’s Twitter polls for each matchup.

For those interested in voting, polls go up on Monday night each week.

Disagree with our picks or the Twitter consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

EVAN REN’S THANKSGIVING WEEK PLAYOFF PICKS: Big Country takes 16 teams from 1A through 5A into Turkey Day weekend

LAST WEEK: 22-5, .814
SEASON TOTAL: 535-108, .832

Turkey Day has arrived and we’ve still got 16 Big Country football teams from 1A through 5A hitting the field this week. 

That’s up from 13 a year ago, giving you some perspective on the overall quality of area football in 2023. And unless I miss my guess, we’ll have at least 10 area teams still slugging it out in December. 

Not too shabby.

Of those, we have roughly seven or eight that have a shot at reaching Arlington and playing for a state championship, including four that I would consider favorites to win it all. 

That said, let’s take a look at this week’s matchups, shall we? 

Be safe going to your games!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: With Windthorst vanquished, Ivan “The Terrible” hath seized thy weekly accolade

It’s always nice to see numbers that match a nickname. And in the case of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, there’s no worries in that department. 

Roscoe junior running back Ivan “The Terrible” McCann takes the accolade for the week ending Nov. 18 after helping the Plowboys to a stunning 50-22 win over Windthorst in the 2A DI area round.  

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Carr, Clyde overcome adversity to hold off Shallowater in area round

By his own lofty standards, Blake Carr didn’t play his best game in Clyde’s Region I-3A Division I area-round matchup against Shallowater on Saturday at Shotwell Stadium. But when it was time to be a game-changer in crunch time, the standout quarterback did what he so often does in leading the Bulldogs 26-21 win.

Carr completed just 10 of 29 passes and threw a pick-six on a forced throw early in the fourth quarter that allowed the Mustangs to climb back in a game that looked to be getting away from them.

But when he needed to put the Bulldogs on his back, the senior did just that, closing a 212-yard rushing day with a pair of brilliant chain-moving runs — the first on a key fourth-down play — to keep Shallowater from having a chance at a late game-winning drive.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us